Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-04-29
THE GOODALE CASE.
"ucn interest in Providence Over the
n'esusatlon in the Southern New
England Methodist Conference.

PROVIDENCE, April 2S
=, oinGe 'ne opening session of the Southern
new England conference of the Methods,
chorch at Fall River, considerable ;n,sros,
mas oeen manifested in that CITY and abroad
dDout the investigation of the charges of
auoitery against Rev. Charles L. Goodell of
trinity church of this city, growing out of
!le accusations made in the divorce proceed.
tW ,nes y Instituted IN this county by Theodore
w. roster and Lovella NJ. Goodell The
civil court heard petitions in December last
enu ul'orce was granted to Foster but
uehleo to Mrs. Goodell on account of the
exposition OF her own loose character nnt in
lieu OF direct defence by her husband.
On the dav preceding the decision of the
supreme court an eccls ssiastical council of
the M Il. church concluded an investigation
OF tne charges. signed a report to the S. NJ.
T.. conference acquitting Goodell of all
cnarges and specifications made against him.
Inc proceedings of the conference at Fall
river nave been behind closed doors, and re.
ports nave been allowed to escape TO the eff
iect That the defence had collected new eyi.
oence OF startling nature and that neither
the civil court nor the ecclesiastical council
nao known and which was sufficient to final
~ dlslpate all charges against MIR. Goodell
and nulllfy the judgment of the court and
the public. The chief of this evidence was
sald TO be reported statement to Mr.. Good.
ell and committee by Mrs. Foster at hotel
IN Boston, IN which she had made and signed
written refutatlon of her confession to her
husband which was the basis of the most of
the charges and which have been strong evil
oence to divorce proceedings.
1t was also stated that she confessed to
conspiracy against Goodell, and that she re-
70 ctt.o
the divorce proceedings, so as not to erdan-
ger the testimony of her confession. The in
vestlgation of these statements has however,
resulted in information of an entirely oppo.
site nature, though equally startling.
On the Sth inst, DIR George F. Jelly, we'll
known through his long connection with Nc
Lean asylum at Somerville, Mass, and for
several years the examining physician of the
board OF public institutions of Boston, by the
instructions of church authorities interested
IN the pending trial, saw and examined Mrs.
roster with view to her confession and also
mental condition as she was said to suffer
from naliucinaton and bad been liable to
say things and believe them, though
they might be entirely contrary to
any facts and were born only in her
own mind. As a result of his examination,
the doctor has reported to the conference
committee at Fall River, stating that he
found Mrs. Foster in a sound condition,
mental and physical, with no trace of insan.
ity or hallucinaion, and that her story of her
relation with MIR. Goodell bore every mark
of truth and exactness.
The Boston meeting hinted at, occurred at
the Parker House on the Goth, and consisted
of gathering If the clergy on both sides of
the case. The accused was present, and SO
was Mrs. Foster, and the object of the gath
ering was to obtain Mrs. Fos er's DISPOSE
ton, but instead of contradictipg herself,
Mrs. Fosters statement was a strong reit-
Grafton of her original confession to her hus-
band, and after cross-examination, which
failed to shake her the committee returned to
Fall River with the report which is now in as
evidence